A carved turn is a skiing and snowboarding term for the technique of turning by shifting the ski or snowboard onto its edges. When edged, the sidecut geometry causes the ski to bend into an arc, and the ski naturally follows this arc shape to produce a turning motion. The carve is efficient in allowing the skier to maintain speed because, unlike the older stem Christie and parallel turns, the skis do not create drag by sliding sideways.
Skier making a carved turn
Parabolic skis are designed to facilitate carved turns.
Snowboard from F2 designed for carving and thus having a mid section more narrow than the end sections, early 2000s
Tracks of carved turns in the snow, showing transition from one side of the ski to the other.
Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).
Alpine skiers
Spring ski touring on Hardangervidda, Norway
Four groups of different ski types, from left to right: 1. Non-sidecut: cross-country, telemark and mountaineering 2. Parabolic 3. Twin-tip 4. Powder
Giant Slalom Ski Racer